This invention relates to a neck frame for cattle comprising an essentially U-shaped main frame which can be suspended in a cattle stand and includes two shanks with a connecting crosspiece. The shanks partially encircle a head opening through which the animal can pass its head. At the bottom of the frame the head opening changes into a neck opening for the neck of the animal.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a neck frame for cattle that may be suspended in front of a manger in such a way that the animal can only reach the manger by passing its head through the head opening of the neck frame, the head of the animal being automatically caught in the neck frame when it passes its head through the head opening.
The foregoing is accomplished in accordance with the invention by providing a neck frame with a closing lever having an actuation arm and a closing arm and being pivoted on one of the shanks of the main frame around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the frame. The construction is such that with the open position of the closing lever, the actuation arm narrows the neck opening and the closing arm releases the head opening. When the animal puts its head through the head opening, the actuation arm is pushed out of the neck opening by the neck of the animal so that the closing arm narrows the head opening and prevents the animal from pulling its head out of the main frame. A locking device automatically locks the closing lever in its closing position, thus preventing the animal from freeing itself from the neck frame.
Another object of this invention is to provide a neck frame for cattle that is simple and economical to manufacture. This is accomplished by constructing the main frame such that a part thereof stretches over the head opening and includes a guide for the free end of the closing arm and a mounting arrangement for the locking device. Consequently, the neck frame consists of relatively few parts and thus its manufacture is extremely inexpensive.
Another object of this invention is to provide a neck frame for cattle that may be mounted such that its freedom of movement is restricted only by flexible connections, for example chains, holding it in the cattle stand. In particular, the neck frame should not extend downwardly so far that it stretches over a partition separating the cattle stand from the manager. Such a construction would actually yield the result that the forward freedom of movement of the neck frame would be limited because the lower part of the frame would hit against this partition. When an animal gets up after having been lying down, the upper part of its body makes a forward movement. If the neck frame would stretch over the partition separating the cattle stand from the manager, then it would be very difficult or even impossible for the animal to get up because this would restrict its movements.
The foregoing problem has been solved in accordance with this invention by constructing the crosspiece of the main frame such that it forms the part stretching over the head opening of the main frame, and the two shanks limit the head opening at its sides. The shank supporting the closing lever then approaches the other shank up to the neck opening below its area limiting the upper part of the head opening. Because the essentially U-shaped main frame is suspended, so to speak, upside down, the shanks of the frame can be shortened such that they can swing beyond the partition separating the cattle stand from the manger. The lower open portion of the neck opening of the main frame can then be closed with a flexible connection, for example, a suspension chain.